treadfowlt (tred foul)

[ME. tredefowl; Thow woldest han been a tredefowel aright. Chaucer , Prol. to Monk's Tale, 1. 57. treading (tred'ing), n. [Verbal n. of tread , v .] 1. The act of setting down the foot; a step. My feet were almost gone, my treadings had well-nigh slipt. Book of Common Prayer, Psalter, Ps. Treading consists in pre ing and kneading the clay paste little by little with bare feet. Gla - making, p. 30. 2. That which is trampled down. The off horse walks on the gra , but outside of the line of cut; consequently, his treadings are met by the machine on the return journey, and cut clean. Ure , Dict., IV. 28. 3. The act of the cock in copulation.